Aileen Kesa Marie U. Hualde grew up in an indigenous community under martial law in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao. After having to flee her own home as a child, today she is advocating for other indigenous women who are still suffering from the consequences of conflict, violence and displacement. “Where I grew up, armed conflict and violence are intertwined parts of our story as a people. I was only a young girl when we were placed under martial law. To me, this is one of the darkest periods in the history of Mindanao..."

During a two-day Mission in the Philippines, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, addressed the Eminent Speakers’ Forum of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to promote gender equality and women’s rights within a regional context. ADB and UN Women will work together on a collaborative study announced during the Mission that will help Asia and the Pacific track its progress in realizing gender equality. It will prioritize...